New Marketing Blog for Associates

There's a new blog online -- The Associate Marketing Mentor -- at http://pm.typepad.com/associatemarketing/.  Marketing expert Mike Cummings and I created it in response to the survey results showing that partners, marketers and the associates themselves realize that business development is now an essential skill for law firm associates.

The research explodes he myth that law firms don't want the clients that associates can bring in, or that practice development is not important for associates.  Ironically, the survey “Current Practices in Business Development for Associates,” also found that 57% of law firms fail to provide them any training to generate new business.

This is deplorable.

So we put the blog online and announced it to the attendees of a Webinar on associate marketing. There is very little information to be found on BD for associates, so the blog is designed to fill the void, offer practical advice, and spotlight associates who succeed at generating new business.  We started by publishing the survey results on the blog and just added an "Associate Marketing checklist."

If you'd like to nominate an associate as a marketing success story, please contact Mike at mikesage@sbcglobal.net.  Meanwhile, take a look at our new baby at http://pm.typepad.com/associatemarketing/ and let us know what else we should put online.

Comments

[Tom Young]

Partners who do not realize the marketing potential of associates have their heads buried in the sand. Depending on the practice, I have found that sometimes associates have access to better potential clients than more established members of the firm. Through the use of new marketing techniques (namely blawgs and other web marketing avenues), I believe that the day is coming when associates will no longer need the client generating services of the big firm.

[Deborah McMurray]

One of the most important lessons associates can learn is how to be high-integrity individuals and practitioners. Reputations are built and maintained in tiny, but important ways every day. One way is to give attribution to an original source when material is quoted or borrowed for another use. The "Associate Marketing Checklist" that is posted on this blog was originally developed and widely used by Ross Fishman. I'm sure it's just an oversight by the hosts of this blog, but it is important to give attribution where it is due.

REPLY FROM LARRY BODINE: Actually, the checklist has been on the LawMarketing Portal for years and originally was furnished by Kelly A. Blazek, former Director of Client Relations, at Hahn, Loeser + Parks in Cleveland.

[Dave Rachford, CPA]

You are right on with the need for this. As a JR. CPA with a firm, I brought in a couple $10,000+ accounts which had long term potential. Partners never thanked me, never gave a cut, or otherwise showed appreciation. My enthusiasm was trampled, and I realized I was a BD / Sales guy first, CPA second. Still am to this day. I like the profession, but I LOVE Business Development.

An early mentor of mine, Leon Fish up in SF, CA told me: "Business takes all three types of people: Finders, minders and grinders" - I think a lot of seniors / Partners believe that the Associate's place is as a "grinder" and to be perfectly honest - seeing young "finders" makes them resentful, jealous, or threatend. They won't admit it, but it does. Dave, CPA, CA

[He Who Must Not Be Named]

Dave,

I'm an associate at a New York BIGLAW firm. Like you, I've found that I enjoy BD much more than the underlying practice of law, and also that partners don't value associates who enjoy networking and BD.

I'm actually very keen to go into BD full time and find a business development role at a start-up company. Do you have any tips on who to go about doing this as a lawyer? How can I convince a company to look at me for non-law positions? Should I be thinking about going back for an MBA?